It occupies the steeply-incised ravine of the Westernhope Burn, a tributary of the River Wear, which it joins from the south about halfway between the villages of Eastgate and Westgate.

The woodland plants on the ground are characteristic of basic soils, and include woodruff, dog's mercury, sanicle, bluebell and giant bellflower.

[1] Part of the woodland is grazed, and here there are common plants of grassland such as ribwort plantain, crested dog’s-tail and creeping buttercup.

[1] On the east side of the valley, the underlying sandstone and limestone is exposed as cliffs; these support a vegetation in which wood sage, Teucrium scorodonia, and foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, are among the commonest species.

At the base of the cliffs, there are deposits of tufa, which are covered with bryophytes, especially curled hook-moss, Palustriella commutata, scented liverwort, Conocephalum conicum and Pellia spp.